Palazzo Vecchio is at Piazza della Signoria 1, right in the middle of Florence’s car-free centre. Its tall tower is easy to spot, so the walk there is simple. This guide shows the easiest routes from the station, the Duomo, Santa Croce and the river, and explains which of the palace’s two doors to use.
The palace sits in a pedestrian zone, so almost everyone finishes on foot. Pick the option below that matches where you are starting and how much you are carrying.
If you are staying anywhere in the historic centre, you are probably within a 15-minute walk. Use the 95-metre tower as your landmark: you can see it from many streets and squares.
Instead of the busy Duomo route, walk from Piazza Santa Maria Novella down Via de’ Tornabuoni, turn left on Via Porta Rossa, pass the Mercato Nuovo loggia and continue on Via Vacchereccia straight into the square.
The small C1 bus winds through the centre and stops at Galleria degli Uffizi, about two minutes from the palace door. It is useful if you are coming from the San Marco or San Lorenzo areas.
The T2 tram links Florence Airport with the station area and Piazza San Marco. Get off at either and walk about 15 minutes south through the centre.
If walking is hard, a taxi can take you towards the Via dei Gondi side entrance, which is the step-free way in. Tell the driver the street name, not just “Palazzo Vecchio”.
Cars without a permit cannot enter the centre. Park at a public car park on the edge, such as Sant’Ambrogio near the market of the same name, then walk about 12 minutes west to the square.
The palace fills a whole block. Most visitors use the main door on the square; the step-free door is on Via dei Gondi, the side street. Both lead to the same ticket office inside.
The big wooden door in the middle of the façade, between the copy of Michelangelo’s David and Bandinelli’s Hercules. Walk through the first courtyard to reach the ticket area.
The side street running from the square towards Piazza di San Firenze. This door is the entrance for visitors with reduced mobility.
The old customs courtyard on the ground floor holds the ticket office, an info point, the free cloakroom, a café and the bookshop.
Some tours meet at the main door, others somewhere nearby on the square. The voucher always tells you where.
If you already have an online ticket, you don’t need to stop at the ticket office. Head to the entrance gate and show your barcode at your booked time.
Florence’s centre is small. These are approximate walking times at a gentle pace, with the street names to follow.
| From | Follow | Time | Arrive at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uffizi Gallery | Walk to the north end of the Uffizi courtyard | ≈2 min | The palace’s south-west corner |
| Ponte Vecchio | The Uffizi riverside arcade, then through the courtyard | ≈5 min | Main door |
| Duomo | Via del Proconsolo, past the Bargello, to Piazza di San Firenze | ≈8 min | Via dei Gondi (step-free door) |
| Santa Croce | Borgo dei Greci to Piazza di San Firenze | ≈8–10 min | Via dei Gondi or the square |
| Santa Maria Novella station | Via de’ Tornabuoni, Via Porta Rossa, Via Vacchereccia | ≈18–20 min | Main door |
| Palazzo Pitti | Via de’ Guicciardini and over the Ponte Vecchio | ≈12 min | Main door |
| Piazzale Michelangelo | Downhill via the steps to San Niccolò, then across Ponte alle Grazie | ≈25–30 min | Via dei Gondi or the square |
Leave the station and walk past the marble façade of the church of Santa Maria Novella to the far side of its square.
Walk south along Florence’s smartest shopping street, then turn left on Via Porta Rossa near Piazza Santa Trinita.
Pass the Mercato Nuovo loggia and continue straight. The street opens onto the square in front of the palace.
The distances are short, but the centre can be crowded and hot. These tips help you arrive relaxed and on time.
Via dei Calzaiuoli and the Ponte Vecchio are packed from late morning. Quieter parallel streets such as Via dei Cerchi or Via del Proconsolo are often faster.
From June to August, the stone squares get very hot by early afternoon. Carry water and refill it at Florence’s public drinking fountains.
Piazza della Signoria is pedestrian-only and sits inside Florence’s limited traffic zone. Plan where you will stop before you set off.
Taxis wait at ranks in the main squares and at the station. You can also call a radio taxi or use an app. Expect to walk the last part.
This underground car park on the eastern edge of the centre is about a 12-minute walk from the square via Borgo degli Albizi and Via del Proconsolo.
If you are driving in from the motorway, use a park-and-ride car park with tram connections and avoid city traffic completely.
Most of the museum can be visited without steps, but the oldest, highest parts of the building cannot.
This side entrance is the official way in for visitors with reduced mobility.
A lift reserved for visitors with reduced mobility is in the Cortile della Dogana. The great hall can be reached by lift; its doors are 75 cm wide.
Two wheelchairs are available free of charge. Ask at the cloakroom.
The mezzanine, the battlements walkway, the tower and some activity rooms are not accessible.
Admission is free for visitors with disabilities and their companion. Bring proof of disability.
Trams and the C1 minibus are low-floor. The route from Piazza di San Firenze to Via dei Gondi is short and level.
The cloakroom is free and next to the ticket office. Some items must be left there before you start the visit.
Umbrellas, day packs and large bags must be checked in. Students must leave school backpacks too.
The cloakroom is not luggage storage. Leave suitcases at your hotel or at the station before you come.
Have your coffee or snack in the courtyard café before or after the visit.
The museum opens at 9:00 every day and closes at 19:00, except on Thursdays, when it closes at 14:00. The tower closes at 17:00.
Entry depends on availability, and online tickets are for a set time slot. Arriving a little early gives you time for security and the cloakroom.
The quietest times are just after 9:00 and in the late afternoon. Midday is when tour groups arrive from the Uffizi and the Duomo.
Use these landmarks to check you are at the right building and the right side of it.
The tall stone tower with battlements and a clock is visible across the centre. Walk towards it and you will reach the square.
The copy of Michelangelo’s David stands just to the left of the main door. Visitors often meet their guides here.
The large white marble fountain stands at the corner of the palace. It is a handy meeting point that is easier to describe than a door.
This small square, with the large Baroque complex of San Firenze, lies at the far end of Via dei Gondi. If you are here, the step-free door is just along the street.
The long courtyard between the two wings of the Uffizi leads from the Arno straight to the palace. The tower appears at the end.
Run through this list before setting off from your hotel.
On Thursday the museum and tower close at 14:00, so plan a morning visit.
The main door on the square, or Via dei Gondi if you need step-free access.
A small day bag is fine but will go in the cloakroom. Leave suitcases behind.
Keep the barcode on screen or printed to go straight to the entrance gate.
Rain closes the tower, so book it for a dry morning if you can.
Tickets are bought before travel, from machines, shops or the app; contactless cards work on many readers.
Short answers to the questions visitors ask most often.
Piazza della Signoria 1, 50122 Florence. The main door faces the square.
The side entrance on Via dei Gondi. Lifts inside reach the main museum floors.
About 15–20 minutes. The quieter route follows Via de’ Tornabuoni, Via Porta Rossa and Via Vacchereccia.
The C1 electric minibus stops at Galleria degli Uffizi, about two minutes away.
No. Piazza della Signoria is car-free and lies within the camera-controlled ZTL. Leave the car at a car park such as Sant’Ambrogio and walk in.
Yes, but day packs, large bags and umbrellas must be left in the free cloakroom inside.
Walk from anywhere in the centre, or take the C1 to Galleria degli Uffizi or the T2 tram from the airport.
Main door on Piazza della Signoria, or the step-free door on Via dei Gondi.
Leave bags in the free cloakroom, show your barcode and start the visit.
Images via Wikimedia Commons: view from Santa Maria Novella bell tower by Sailko (CC BY 3.0); main entrance by Andrzej Otrębski (CC BY-SA 4.0); Via Vacchereccia by Cezar Suceveanu (CC BY-SA 4.0); Via dei Gondi by Txllxt TxllxT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Cortile della Dogana by Sailko (CC BY-SA 3.0); Uffizi and tower by trukdotcom (CC BY-SA 3.0).
